Texas; is it part of the South or the Southwest? (Houston: military, vs.)

[michaeltx9412]

Originally Posted by As Above So Below...

People get way too animated over the whole "Is Texas Southern or not?" question.

I live in Houston which is definitely a nice Southern/International mix. I used to live in Dallas/Fort Worth which had elements of the South, Southwest, and the Midwest/Great Plains.

Not every part of Texas is Southern though. El Paso certainly isnt. I wouldnt consider Laredo or the Valley Southern either. Not every part of Texas is Southwestern either. Houston and East Texas certainly are not.

Texas is just Texas. Its like asking if California is more like Northern California or Southern California. Its both and a lot more too. Its the same with Texas.

Houston is definitely Southern if you ask me. For some reasons it has a larger international vibe to it than Atlanta.

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by As Above So Below...

People get way too animated over the whole "Is Texas Southern or not?" question.

I live in Houston which is definitely a nice Southern/International mix. I used to live in Dallas/Fort Worth which had elements of the South, Southwest, and the Midwest/Great Plains.

Not every part of Texas is Southern though. El Paso certainly isnt. I wouldnt consider Laredo or the Valley Southern either. Not every part of Texas is Southwestern either. Houston and East Texas ,
Texas is just Texas. Its like asking if California is more like Northern California or Southern California. Its both and a lot more too. Its the same with Texas.

I totally agree. Like California (due to it's size) or other "border" states (due to their location), it's ridiculous to try to force Texas into one stereotype.

My husband works a lot in the Midland area - DEFINITELY a different vibe from the east Texas region. I agree, it's not really a southern vibe, it's more southwest which is definitely a different feel.

But I like it all.

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by michaeltx9412

Houston is definitely Southern if you ask me. For some reasons it has a larger international vibe to it than Atlanta.

Of course. Houston is undoubtedly more international than Atlanta.

[GSAENZ90]

East Texas is part of the American South. The rest of Texas is Southwest. Disagree? Texas is more cowboy, boots and hat, Tex-Mex, open skies, buffalo trail, Hispanic, Native American, then it is Southern. Yes, Texas does have elements of both distinct areas. But if we have to choose, especially a state is almost majority Hispanic, Largely Spanish-speaking, and home to Chili, The Alamo, San Antone, El Paso, the Rio Grande Valley, Amarillo, Fort Worth (where the West begins), Odessa and Midland, and home to miles and miles of open country, you have to be damn near blind to suggest it is not the Southwest.

[turf3]

As I said above, these questions and the attempts to answer them make exactly as much sense as:


"France - is it part of Germany, or Spain?"
" Korea - is it part of China, or Japan?"
"Panama - is it part of North America, or South America?"
"Is Canada an Hispanic nation, or an Asian one?"

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by GSAENZ90

East Texas is part of the American South. The rest of Texas is Southwest. Disagree? Texas is more cowboy, boots and hat, Tex-Mex, open skies, buffalo trail, Hispanic, Native American, then it is Southern. Yes, Texas does have elements of both distinct areas. But if we have to choose, especially a state is almost majority Hispanic, Largely Spanish-speaking, and home to Chili, The Alamo, San Antone, El Paso, the Rio Grande Valley, Amarillo, Fort Worth (where the West begins), Odessa and Midland, and home to miles and miles of open country, you have to be damn near blind to suggest it is not the Southwest.

[michaeltx9412]

Originally Posted by GSAENZ90

East Texas is part of the American South. The rest of Texas is Southwest. Disagree? Texas is more cowboy, boots and hat, Tex-Mex, open skies, buffalo trail, Hispanic, Native American, then it is Southern. Yes, Texas does have elements of both distinct areas. But if we have to choose, especially a state is almost majority Hispanic, Largely Spanish-speaking, and home to Chili, The Alamo, San Antone, El Paso, the Rio Grande Valley, Amarillo, Fort Worth (where the West begins), Odessa and Midland, and home to miles and miles of open country, you have to be damn near blind to suggest it is not the Southwest.

I was in Beaumont yesterday and it felt 100% Mississippi-Southern to me. Then I'm back in Austin and it feels somewhat Southern, but not much. It rather feels like California here. Texas has so many regional influences.

[Desert kid]

Everything Fort Worth and Westward is the Southwest. Much of West Texas is also Southern Baptist.

Everything San Antonio and Southward is Mexican, everything between Dallas and San Antonio is distinctly "Texan".

Everything East of Interstate 35 is the Deep South.

[okcthunder1945]

Texas is kinda big.....


DFW- Midwestern
West Texas- Great Plains
Houston- Southern
ATX/SA- SW
Rio Grande- Border region?

[michaeltx9412]

Originally Posted by okcthunder1945

Texas is kinda big.....


DFW- Midwestern
West Texas- Great Plains
Houston- Southern
ATX/SA- SW
Rio Grande- Border region?

Texas is so big that it varies greatly even within its each subregion. For example, in East Texas, Beaumont and Port Arthur remind me of SW Louisiana whereas Tyler and Longview share similarities with Arkansas or Central Mississippi. In West Texas, El Paso could be somewhere in New Mexico while San Angelo has more of a Hill Country and Texan feel. Wichita Falls, Amarillo, Fort Worth all could be in Oklahoma/Eastern NM. The Rio Grande Valley region is its own thing just like Central Texas and is heavily Mexican, but visually it looks like somewhere in Florida with its own coastal vibe. Laredo, TX is like 99% Hispanic and while it's not in the RGV, it doesn't resemble Mexico nor anywhere in Texas both culturally and aesthetically. WOW! Texas is so weird!